Vocabulary 1-150 Page 1

Front 1

ab extra

(ăb ĕk'strə)

Back 1

From without.

[Latin ab extrā : ab, from + extrā, outside.]

Front 2

abbé

(ăb'ā′, ă-bā)

Back 2

1. Used as a title for the superior of a monastery in a French-speaking area.

2. Used as a title for a cleric in major or minor orders in a French-speaking area.

[French, from Old French abbe, from Late Latin abbās, abbāt-, abbot]

Front 3

abiological

(ā′bī-ə-lŏj'ĭ-kəl)

Back 3

Not associated with or derived from living organisms.

[from Greek bios "life" (see bio-) + -logy.]

Front 4

abscission

(ăb-sĭzh'ən)

Back 4

1. The act of cutting off.

2. Botany The shedding of leaves, flowers, or fruits following the formation of the abscission zone.

[Latin abscissiō, abscissiōn-, from abscissus, past participle of abscindere, to cut off : ab-, ab- + scindere, to cut; see skei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Front 5

acatalectic

(ā-kăt′l-ĕk'tĭk)

Back 5

Having a metrically complete pattern, especially having the full number of syllables in the final foot. Used of verse.

[Late Latin acatalēcticus, from Greek akatalēktikos : a-, not; see A-1 + katalēktikos, incomplete; see CATALECTIC.]

Front 6

adenocarcinoma

(ăd′n-ō-kär′sə-nō'mə)

Back 6

A malignant tumor originating in glandular tissue.

"malignant tumor," 1721, from Latin carcinoma, from Greek karkinoma "a cancer," from karkinos "cancer," literally "crab"

Front 7

alderman

(ôl'dər-mən)

Back 7

1. A member of the municipal legislative body in a town or city in many jurisdictions.

2. A member of the higher branch of the municipal or borough council in England and Ireland before 1974.

3. A noble of high rank or authority in Anglo-Saxon England.

4. The chief officer of a shire in Anglo-Saxon England.

[Middle English, a person of high rank, from Old English ealdorman : ealdor, elder, chief (from eald, old; see al-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + man, man; see MAN.]

Front 8

aleatory

(ā'lē-ə-tôr′ē)

Back 8

1. Dependent on chance, luck, or an uncertain outcome: an aleatory contract between an oil prospector and a landowner.

2. Of or characterized by gambling: aleatory contests.

3. also a·le·a·to·ric (ā′lē-ə-tôrĭk) Music Using or consisting of sounds to be chosen by the performer or left to chance; indeterminate: An object placed inside the piano added an aleatory element to the piece.

[Latin āleātōrius, from āleātor, gambler, from ālea, game of chance, die.]

Front 9

alliaceous

(ăl′ē-ā'shəs)

Back 9

Of or resembling onion, garlic, or similar plants of the genus Allium, particularly in taste and smell.

[Latin allium, garlic; see ALLIUM + -ACEOUS.]

Front 10

altiplano

(äl′tĭ-plä'nō)

Back 10

A high plateau, as in the Andean regions of Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.

[American Spanish : Latin altus, high; see al-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Latin plānum, plain; see PLANE1.]

Front 11

amandine

(ä'mən-dēn′, ăm'ən-)

Back 11

Prepared or garnished with almonds: swordfish amandine.

[French, from amande, almond, from Old French almande; see ALMOND.]

Front 12

amniotic

(ăm'nē-ət-ik)

Back 12

A tough, thin membrane that forms a sac enclosing the embryo or fetus of a mammal, bird, or reptile. It is filled with a serous fluid in which the embryo or fetus is suspended.

[New Latin, from Greek amneion, variant of amneios, amnion, and from amnion, amnion, both from amnos, lamb; akin to Irish úan, Latin agnus, and Old Church Slavonic agnę, lamb.]

Front 13

amphora

(ăm'fər-ə)

Back 13

A two-handled jar with a narrow neck used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to carry wine or oil.

[Middle English, from Latin, from Greek amphoreus, short for amphiphoreus : amphi-, amphi- + phoreus, bearer (from pherein, to bear; see bher-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

Front 14

anaglyph

(ănə-glĭf′)

Back 14

1. An ornament carved in low relief.

2. A moving or still picture consisting of two slightly different perspectives of the same subject in contrasting colors that are superimposed on each other, producing a three-dimensional effect when viewed through two correspondingly colored filters.

[From Late Latin anaglyphus, carved in low relief, from Greek anagluphos : ana-, ana- + gluphein, to carve; see gleubh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Front 15

analphabetic

(ăn-ăl′fə-bĕtĭk)

Back 15

1. Not alphabetical.

2. Unable to read; illiterate.

[From Greek analphabētos, not knowing the alphabet : an-, not; see A-1 + alphabētos, alphabet; see ALPHABET.]

Front 16

angelology

(ān′jəl-ŏlə-jē)

Back 16

The branch of theology having to do with angels.

Front 17

anneal

(ə-nēl)

Back 17

1. To subject (glass or metal) to a process of heating and slow cooling in order to toughen and reduce brittleness.

2. To strengthen or harden.

[Middle English anelen, from Old English onǣlan, to set fire to : on, on; see ON + ǣlan, to kindle.]

Front 18

antebellum

(ăn′tē-bĕl'əm)

Back 18

Belonging to the period before a war, especially the American Civil War.

[From Latin ante bellum, before the war : ante, before; see ANTE- + bellum, war.]

Front 19

anthropocentric

(ăn′thrə-pə-sĕntrĭk)

Back 19

1. Regarding humans as the central element of the universe.

2. Interpreting reality exclusively in terms of human values and experience.

Front 20

antiphlogistic

(ăn′tē-flə-jĭstĭk, ăn′tī-)

Back 20

Reducing inflammation or fever; anti-inflammatory.

Front 21

aphonia

(ā-fōnē-ə)

Back 21

Loss of the voice resulting from disease, injury to the vocal cords, or various psychological causes, such as hysteria.

[New Latin aphōnia, from Greek aphōniā, speechlessness, from aphōnos, voiceless : a-, without; ]

Front 22

apocalypticism

(ə-pŏk′ə-lĭptĭ-sĭz′əm)

Back 22

Belief in apocalyptic prophecies, especially regarding the imminent destruction of the world and the foundation of a new world order as a result of the triumph of good over evil.

Front 23

apotropaic

(ăp′ə-trō-pāĭk)

Back 23

Intended to ward off evil: an apotropaic symbol.

[From Greek apotropaios, from apotrepein, to ward off : apo-, apo- + trepein, to turn; see trep- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Front 24

appellant

(ə-pĕlənt)

Back 24

One who appeals a court decision.

[Middle English, one who makes a charge in court, plaintiff, from Old French apelant, from present participle of apeler, to appeal; see APPEAL.]

Front 25

appendectomy

(ăp′ən-dĕktə-mē)

Back 25

Surgical removal of the vermiform appendix.

[New Latin -ectomia : Greek ek-, out; see ECTO- + -tomiā, -tomy.]

Front 26

appendices

(ə-pĕn'dĭ-sēz′)

Back 26

A plural of appendix.

[Latin, from appendere, to hang upon; see APPEND.]

Front 27

arenicolous

(ăr′ə-nĭkə-ləs)

Back 27

Growing, living, or burrowing in sand: an arenicolous lizard.

[Latin harēna, arēna, sand; see ARENA + -COLOUS.]

Front 28

arraign

(ə-rān)

Back 28

1. Law To call (an accused person) before a criminal court to hear and answer the charge made against him or her.

2. To call to account; accuse: "Johnson arraigned the modern politics of this country as entirely devoid of all principle" (James Boswell).

[Middle English arreinen, from Old French araisnier, from Vulgar Latin *adratiōnāre, to call to account : Latin ad-, ad- + Latin ratiō, ratiōn-, account; see REASON.]

Front 29

arthrotomy

(är-thrŏt'ə-mē)

Back 29

Surgical incision into a joint.

Front 30

asquint

(ə-skwĭnt)

Back 30

With a sidelong glance.

[Middle English : a-, on; see A-2 + -squint; akin to skwyn (in of skwyn, obliquely).]

Front 31

assuasive

(ə-swā'sĭv, -zĭv)

Back 31

Soothing; calming.

[AD- + SUASIVE (sense influenced by ASSUAGE).]

Front 32

astrogate

(ăs'trə-gāt′)

Back 32

To navigate a spacecraft.

Front 33

asyndeton

(ə-sĭn--dĭ-tŏn′)

Back 33

The omission of conjunctions from constructions in which they would normally be used, as in "Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, / Shrunk to this little measure?" (Shakespeare).

[Late Latin, from Greek asundeton, from neuter of asundetos, without conjunctions : a-, not; see A-1 + sundetos, bound together (from sundein, to bind together : sun-, syn- + dein, to bind).]

Front 34

atrophy

(ăt'rə-fē)

Back 34

1. A wasting or decrease in size of a body organ, tissue, or part owing to disease, injury, or lack of use: muscular atrophy of a person affected with paralysis.

2. A wasting away, deterioration, or diminution: intellectual atrophy.

[Late Latin atrophia, from Greek atrophiā, from atrophos, ill-nourished : a-, without; see A-1 + trophē, food.]

Front 35

aurora australis

(ô-strā'lĭs)

Back 35

An aurora that occurs in southern regions of the earth. Also called southern lights.

[New Latin aurōra austrālis : Latin aurōra, dawn + Latin austrālis, southern.]

Front 36

balsamic

(bôl-săm'ĭk)

Back 36

1. Of, relating to, or resembling balsam.

2. Containing or yielding balsam.

3. Restorative; curative.

Front 37

bayou

(bī, bīō)

Back 37

1. A body of water, such as a creek or small river, that is a tributary of a larger body of water.

2. A sluggish stream that meanders through lowlands, marshes, or plantation grounds.

[Louisiana French bayouque, bayou, ultimately (probably via Mobilian Jargon, a pidgin based on Choctaw and Chickasaw used along the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico]

Front 38

beefalo

(bē'fə-lō′)

Back 38

A hybrid that results from a cross between the North American bison (buffalo) and beef cattle and is typically 3/8 bison and 5/8 domestic cattle. Beefalo yields leaner beef than conventional breeds of cattle.

[Blend of BEEF and BUFFALO.]